If Rau’s IAS tragedy had happened under Sheila Dikshit, she would’ve restored our confidence

Were this tragedy to happen under a more responsible Congress govt, we would’ve asked our CM to apply for a bail to be among the people. That’s what the Sheila Dikshit that I knew would have done.

Police deployment outside Rau's IAS Study Circle in Old Rajinder Nagar, Sunday | Suraj Singh Bisht | ThePrint

Delhi is crumbling. And there’s no one to take responsibility. The bizarre mishap killing three young UPSC aspirants took place due to waterlogging in an illegal basement of coaching institute Rau’s IAS Study Circle in Delhi’s Old Rajinder Nagar. But the real cause is Delhi’s lost decade. Predictably, the tragedy triggered a fresh round of blame game between the Aam Aadmi Party and Bharatiya Janata Party.

Those elected to govern Delhi forever remain in political mode to be able to really take charge. Those with authority and no responsibility keep trying to increase their area of influence, behaving more like lieutenants of a political party than governors of the city-state. The pointless blame-game has become the staple of Delhi’s governance template in the last decade — the price of which is being paid not just by those who live and vote here but also by those who come to the city seeking opportunities. The three aspirants who died under unimaginable circumstances had barely begun to spread their wings.

This incident highlights a significant governance deficit that has plagued the capital city, drawing attention to the stark contrast between the current administration and the tenure of Congress’ Sheila Dikshit. The former CM took over Delhi in 1998, at a time when the BJP was in power at the Centre. Despite the complexities arising from the overlapping authorities governing Delhi, she managed to tackle significant issues and bring transformative changes to the city’s infrastructure, healthcare, education, and transportation.

The decade that was

One can proudly bombard the reader with rich data — the city’s green cover (which went up from 26 sq km to 300 sq km), fleet of 5,500 clean fuel buses, Delhi Metro lines, drinking water catchment by Sonia Vihar treatment plant, hospital beds, new hospitals, universities, and the list of achievements can go on and on. She had 15 years to be able to do all of this. The current incumbent, too, is completing 10 years, but can there be any comparison? A chief minister of a national party has several encumbrances as compared to one belonging to a regional party, and yet, what we see all around is just a rubble of memories of a glorious past.

When Sheila Dikshit took charge, she introduced a rule for herself to visit the LG once every week to resolve any issue that might become a bone of contention. There were times when there were no pending issues, and yet, the Thursday meeting would happen over a cup of tea and cookies. Her principal secretary would always accompany her. From the BJP-appointed Vijay Kapoor to BL Joshi to Tejinder Khanna to Najib Jung, her three terms saw 4 LGs. Despite the obvious ups and downs that get necessitated due to the very administrative structure of Delhi, the relationship between the CM and the LG never reached a point of no return. There were occasions when the CM and the LG office were not on the same page, but breakdowns were deftly avoided by mature handling of the situation. She knew consensus-building and relationship management were a key part of governance, especially of Delhi.

During her tenure, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) was with the Congress only once, between 2002-07. There too, the intra-party political dynamics made the going not so smooth, and yet, MCD employees got salaries on time. The incumbent is cocooned from internal competition, as he is the undisputed leader of his party. National parties experience more dynamic politics and leaders have to cope with politics at its best and worst.

There were several moments where there was internal resistance to government policy. Navigating through such encumbrances, Dikshit kept the people’s interests completely insulated from the rough and tumble of politics. The process of relocation of industries from the city was not an easy exercise. It started in the late ’90s and the Congress government in Delhi ensured an allotment of 21,759 plots between 1998 and 2010. Currently, only 200 units are operational, and that too without the necessary infrastructure like roads, transport, sewer, power and water.

Unanswered questions

The Old Rajinder Nagar tragedy was man-made. Despite there being an elected government and an over-interventionist LG, there’s no visible accountability. Questions remain unanswered. Who allowed the coaching institute to operate from a basement? Why were the drains not desilted? I will not even call the tragedy a wake-up call for those who have jointly made an already bad system of governance in Delhi worse.

Amid a jarring blame-game, one can only feel bad for the people of Delhi. They think they have a stake in democracy just because they cast their votes for the central government that begrudges them for electing the state government of a different party and is forever plotting how to expand its turf; and a state government that  considers politicking as its only jurisdiction and an MCD that only knows how to milk its jurisdiction.

Were this tragedy to happen under a more responsible, seasoned, accountable Congress government — with the CM in jail — we would have asked our CM to apply for a bail to be among the people and answer questions and restore the confidence of worried parents. That’s what the Sheila Dikshit that I knew and worked with would have done. That’s what the Congress I know and am a part of would do.

Heads that seek to wear the crown should be prepared to be rolled if they fail to provide the basic sense of security and sensitivity in times of crisis.

Pawan Khera is the chairperson of media and publicity, AICC. Views are personal.

(Edited by Humra Laeeq)